1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a network synchronizing system and an information processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there have been information processing systems having an information processing apparatus which is connected to a network, manages plural communication protocols, and is capable of communicating documents in various data forms with plural information apparatuses.
Such an information processing system provides various application services by using the information processing apparatus as a core component. The various application services include, for example, sending data of a read document image or data formed by an information apparatus to a specified address by an email, sending such data by facsimile, a process to transfer a file with the information apparatus, recording and outputting text data of a received email and an attached image, and the like, sending such data to a specified facsimile machine, transferring a file to the information apparatus, and storing and managing the data in the information processing apparatus.
However, such an information processing apparatus is required to be connected to plural information apparatuses through a network. In particular, when there are plural independent apparatuses that require authentications in the network, and they identify individuals and provide a function usable by only a registered user, it has been inconvenient since a user name and a password have to be inputted to each apparatus. Further, when the systems are integrated, a user name and a password can be commonly used, however, there has been a problem in that a vast amount of resources have been required for such system construction for unifying management of authentication data which have been individually managed.
Patent Document 1 solves the above problem by a network communication system constituted by a document input-output apparatus that identifies individuals by an authentication using an operating unit and provides a function usable by only a registered user, and plural external apparatuses connected through a network, which identify individuals by protocols used in the network to provide a function.
Moreover, according to Patent Document 1, an external apparatus authentication compatible document input-output apparatus is provided, by which authentications of individually provided authentication units are performed by one authentication using an operating unit, thereby the external apparatuses are automatically authenticated.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-67830 Now, a network communication system is constituted by plural information processing apparatuses such as the document input-output apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this case, it is preferable that setting data such as user data registered in the information processing apparatuses be commonly used (synchronized) among the plural information processing apparatuses in order to, for example, constitute a network communication system, in which people of a predetermined group of a company share the plural information processing apparatuses.
However, conventionally, there has been a problem in that a vast amount of resources are required to achieve such an object, for example, to constitute a system for unifying management of setting data which are individually set in the apparatuses.